Reservoirs may be provided in some items or appliances such as coffee or tea makers. In some instances it may be desirable to gather information for use in an appliance's process controls. For example, it is possible to achieve useful dosing of coffee grounds in a drip coffee maker or brew parameters, if the water reservoir level, and hence the volume of coffee to be brewed, is known prior to brewing.
For reservoirs used within devices such as coffee makers, the level sensing may be achieved during or before the water is heated.
The Applicant's Australian Provisional Application No. 2007900705 and PCT Application No. PCT/AU2008/000187 are hereby incorporated by reference.